Obama's Handwritten Prayer Made Public

Israeli Paper Publishes Democrat's Note Left In Cracks Of Western Wall

(AP)  An Israeli newspaper's decision to publish a handwritten prayer that Barack Obama left this week in the cracks of the Western Wall drew criticism Friday as an invasion of his privacy and his relationship with God.

In the note, placed at Judaism's holiest site, Obama asks God to guide him and guard his family.

"Lord - Protect my family and me," reads the note published in the Maariv daily. "Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair. Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will."

Maariv published a photograph of the note on its front page on Friday. It said the note was removed from the wall by a student at a Jewish seminary immediately after Obama left.

The paper's decision to make the note public immediately drew fire from religious authorities. The rabbi in charge of the Western Wall, Shmuel Rabinovitz, said publishing the note intruded in Obama's intimate relationship with God.

"The notes placed between the stones of the Western Wall are between a person and his maker. It is forbidden to read them or make any use of them," he told Army Radio. The publication "damages the Western Wall and damages the personal, deep part of every one of us that we keep to ourselves," he said.

Many visitors to the 2,000-year-old Western Wall leave notes in its crevices bearing requests and prayers. Obama did so during a pre-dawn visit there Thursday, following a day spent meeting Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Obama bowed his head in worship after placing his small note of prayer into the wall.

The Western Wall is the lone remaining outer retaining wall of the second biblical Jewish temple, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D., and is revered at Judaism's holiest site. It stands where the bible says King Solomon built the first Jewish Temple, which was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.

"It's inappropriate that the prayers of a person at the Western Wall should become a subject of public knowledge at all," said Jonathan Rosenblum, a Jerusalem-based analyst of the religious community and director of the Orthodox Am Ehad think-tank. "There is a rabbinic prohibition against reading other people's private communications and certainly anyone who goes to the wall expects that those communication will be protected."

Another Israeli paper, Yediot Ahronot, published an article Friday saying it had also obtained the note but decided not to publish it to respect Obama's privacy. Nearly all other Israeli media outlets ignored the story.

Thousands of notes and prayers are stuffed into the cracks of the wall. In recent years, The Western Wall Heritage Foundation, which operates the site, has opened a fax hot line and a Web site where people overseas can send their prayers and have them printed out and placed in the wall.

The wall is emptied of its notes several times a year. These are treated as a prayer book and buried, rather than burned.

Rosenblum said the Maariv publication showed "a lack of sensitivity," toward Obama and the wall. However, the extraction and publishing of the note do not appear to be illegal. Police said Friday it was not investigating the incident.

Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs would neither confirm nor deny the note was Obama's

The handwriting appeared to match a message Obama inscribed Wednesday in the guest book at Yad Vashem, Israel's official Holocaust memorial, and was written on stationery from the King David Hotel, where Obama stayed while in Israel.

Obama signed the Yad Vashem message. The note from the Western Wall was unsigned.

At the Western Wall, Obama was greeted by a crowd of curious onlookers and photographers. He donned a white skullcap, listened to a rabbi read a prayer, and inserted a folded white piece of paper between the stones. One hardline Israeli protester shouted, "Obama, Jerusalem is not for sale."

The visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories was part of an international tour meant to shore up Obama's foreign affairs credentials ahead of the November election. Obama's prospective rival, John McCain, visited Israel in March.

[liberalme]

Oh great, now the cons will have him going from muslim, th Christian and now to Judiasm and will accuse him of "flip-flopping" on his religion! lol

Whatever Obama does in a religious manner--is truly more sincere and honest than Bush being told by God to be president, or having the ability to see Putins soul!

It looks like a beautiful tradition the Jewish religion has--all religions are beautiful if practiced in a humble manner.

[fstop100]

this is a media circus on taxpayer money, this should be a crime, he should be charged with theft.

[credibility2]

I thought the purpose of doing this at the wall was an act of reverence not meant to be shared with others, and to remain only between the individual and God. Although, his prayer is a bit disingenuous since he implores God''s guidance "...against pride...", which is exactly what he personifies in his everyday life.

[credibility2]

Knowing the gigantic ego Obama has, he probably knew this was going to be done and had one of his writers script the prayer for him for additional oomph to his celebrity parade.

[nanc12]

I think it''s especially crass for a seminary student to disregard the privacy of Obama''s prayer, but if he hadn''t gotten to it first, you know a reporter would have. Colbert was pretty funny last night with his ''copy'' of the note reading, ''God, please protect my n*ts from Jesse Jackson.''
And this will actually help Obama - I''m sure Jewish voters will be sympathetic to this breach in etiquette.

[hasher471]

Nanc12, I haven''t seen much that has hurt Obama. Have you? There''s a few things that I disagree with him on, but nothing big enough for me not to keeping donating and voting for him come November.

[hasher471]

IRLiberal, Rush Limbotamy lost what little respect I had in him after it was uncovered that he was a druggie, albeit he was preaching that drug addicts should stay in prison for life.

What a freakin'' hypocrit!

[credibility2]

jh6379 - I hope your comments were meant as sarcasm. It''s so tragic that there are so many mindless dufuses that believe all of the drivel this phony is putting out before his mindless myopic dellusional lemmings. They all need to grow up and get real.

[iuphockey12]

The man could save the world, find the meaning of life and fix global warming and you''''d find something to complain about.


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Posted by jh6379

THE SAD THING IS THAT YOU LIBERALS THINK YOU CAN DO ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

[hasher471]

Obamians, don''t even try to talk issues or logic with these Repugs. You''re wasting the skin off your little typing fingers :-)

OBAMA ''08

[lovegetpeace]

Finally, hard evidence and smoking gun that Obama is a Christian. However, I am sure the NeoCons will ignore this and continue the ''Muslim Fear'' game since they have nothing else bad about Obama.

I feel sorry for NeoCons. Long live all the Liberals!

[guadalcanal3]

I am so sick of religious zealots!...What this country needs...no...what this world needs is a leader with Carl Sagen''s sense of truth and reality...As long as we keep electing these religiously inclined leaders we will continue to have strife and wars "in the name of God"...The closest way to find God (other than in our hearts) is to explore the Galaxy..."If" and "when" we do that all these religions that exist now will become obsolete...just as ancient Eygpt,Druids,Babylon etc...are all now obsolete...There will be a "new" religion...the religion of the "Universe"...but we have to get out of the crib and our breast feeding stages first.

[nanc12]

Is this what Obama refers to as "picking the right people for his administration?"

One has to wonder at such deep character flaws.
Posted by OneAmerican

gee, I must have missed the big announcement that he had picked Edwards. Edwards was never a consideration. He did absolutely nothing to help the ticket 4 years ago, and would do even less now. He had no experience in foreign relations, or the economy that would help. The best thing he had going for him was his wife. I hope for her sake that this isn''t true.

[hissteps4u]

OneAmerican Been reading the National Inquirer again for your breakfeast daily News Breif? LOL it amazes me how folks can make accusations and spread such tripe and garbage so freely not having a clue.

Go back to the Rags I am sure Aliens are behind it all and you will soon discover Marlyn''s Love Child with JFK in some remote Amazon Jungle with a UFO.

The Likes of you and McVet and others just give me my daily laugh as I watch ignorance play out in these Open Blogs...

[iuphockey12]

If one doesn''''t think they can accomplish anything, then why bother trying? Is that how you go through life, alwys thinking you''''re going to fail? Sad.




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Posted by rafterman1

I DIDNT SAY THATS HOW I GO THROUGH LIFE. LIBERALS PUTTING WORDS IN PEOPLES MOUTHS AGAIN. MY POINT IS THAT YOU LIBERALS COME UP WITH A PLAN(I.E. AL GORE''S) AND THINK THAT ITS GOING TO SAVE THE WORLD WHEN AT BEST YOU MAY BE ABLE TO REDUCE IT...MAYBE. YOU ALL THUNK YOU CAN SAVE THE WORLD.

[libsluv2spit]

Obama asks God to guide him and guard his family.

"Lord - Protect my family and me," reads the note published in the Maariv daily. "Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair. Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will."

***************************

maybe obama is not really a liberal..but at any rate, I am starting to like this guy

[downtowner97]

There you go. He''s a secret Muslim, all right.

[davewrite1]

Does Obama really believe that his god and his fate will be affected by the note? Or was it for show? This sort of naiveti is scary to me.

But, of course, next to GWB or McCain, he''s golden!

[rf35]

Why should I care? Why should anyone care? This is a non-story about another non-story. This is the kind of thing that makes me ashamed to be a member of the American media community.

[andylance1]

The media press core got a free European vacation going with Obama, plus a chance to swoon over his charisma, good looks and how popular he is over there, and a chance to tell America how wonderful he is.

Surprisingly, it was the lady journalists who had the courage to confront the boy wonder, Katie Couric and Andrea Mitchell. The male boot lickers were the real wimps.

[aldon61]

I was glad he addressed his shortcoming of pride; acceptance is the first step in changing directions. I was also very proud that he asked GOD to use him for HIS good, not Obama''s. This is a good man and I hope that he becomes our next President.

[armydog2]

I just do not get some of the people who post on here he is ***-ed if he goes abroad to Iraq and Afghanistan, and now he is d-amned that he did. He shows you his good side and all you do is criticize him He is a good Christian man and very well can be the one who we need to save this country from the mess we are in.Wake up folks the republicans have screwed us over enough. Time to take our country back and this is the man who can do it.

Who wrote his prayer for him? Just a coincidence that a camera was there for the photo op. Remeniscent of Clinton''s "thoughtful" walk on the beaches of Normandy. I would hope that the prayer was sincere, but knowing how much prevarication has come from this man I am left to believe that his "prayer" is a crass attempt to appear devout and presidential.

[likeitis5050]

Did he sweat blood as he prayed all night about what to write? Poor thing. Being the Messiah is living up to the name....not all fun and games like he thought it would be, huh? Oh well, the world still loves him and pins all their hopes and dreams on him so that has be its own reward.

[olderthnadam]

Disingenuous or not, only Obama knows for sure, it''s a beautiful prayer. All McCain has to offer is the same old tired retoric. I expected more from him but he has let me down at every turn. It seems he doesn''t have the guts to be the maverick he once claimed to be, now that he has the nomination. What''s he afraid of? That his party won''t support him. Who else are they going to support? McCain is proving that he is weak and scared. Do we really need someone like that to be president?

[trishab4]

McCain prayer:
God, My Friend,

Please let my live until the election. Please let me keep suckling off off Cindy''''s financial teet. God forbid the news agencies finding out just how many more lobbyists I have working on my campaign. And, more importantly, not let everyone find out how many favors I promised to them.

And another thing God, if you could just take a few decades off my appearance and add a few more digits to my IQ, I really appreciate it.

In Capitalisms name,
Amen
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Posted by hasher471 at 03:13 PM : Jul 25, 2008

-LMAO!

[trishab4]

He should be ashame trying to run to be president. He does not support our troops in war and I don''''t feel he really cares about America he just wants the fame. I don''''t believe him at all about Rev. Wright, he really hates Americans. You see who he associates himself with. If he gets elected we''''re in trouble Americans..
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Posted by golfbag11 at 05:20 PM : Jul 25, 2008

-Your rather call yourself sh*tbag11, full of it!

[jntlw-2009]

Utter shame on all you friends of Lucifer GOP neocons who would mock an honest prayer by an honest man (Obama). Go feed on yourselves - predators that you are!

[beader59]

This man is going to be president of the U.S. maybe. I don''t care what religion he is, it does have any role whatsoever to play in politics. Get over the religion ***, if you believe great, but it has nothing to do with how qualified a person is or whether or not they would be a good leader. Religion is a personal choice and it is too bad that someone wanted to make a buck selling this personal note.

[samthetvcat]

---"drew criticism Friday as an invasion of his privacy and his relationship with God"---

After reading the prayer I don''t think it''s an invasion of privacy because it sounds like he wrote it mindful that people would be reading it. Does anybody else''s prayers vague like that?

You know what he left out is gratitude for his blessings - I always start with that . . .

[cdfoxtrot1]

That is not what the message said.. it said " ALLAH ACKBAR, Help me destroy the non-believers in America and what better way to destroy the serpent then from the inside out.. Praise be to Allah and death to those who are non-believers" "Ps thanks for fooling the American people into believing that I want to help them.."

Posted by MeanBiker

You''re obviously very clever. Perhaps a stint at Faux News would be in order?

[gabbysmomrs]

It is my beliefe that everyone who visits the Wailing Wall leaves a prayer there. Senator Obama''s prayer was beautiful, appropriate, and heartfelt. This is a good man. For you who are making political statements against him here...is nothing sacred? The messages left at the Wall are considered sacrosant and are not public property. The student who removed the prayer and, I''m sure, sold it to the newspers should be reprimanded and be penalized. He also should be made to apologize to Senator Obama. The newspaper that printed it should print an apology and perhaps be boycotted.

[jeffstersf]

golfbag11 socon2 mnmaid jerr111
And all you other handpuppets of the GOP:
You are so used to lies (by Bush himself, your favorite TV station, FOX, etc). that a moment of true reflection by an honest man looks to you like something evil.

You''re all sad, pathetic cases. Ick.

[clovisbuford]

wow obama wrote a private prayer , unsigned, according toi the rabbi in charge of the wall everyones word with God is supposed to be theirs ,now not only did someone violatetaht privacy ,byut the chuckleheads on here feel free to weigh in to ,right and left oneesentially what is a private matter . its a sad staement on politics and what people(chuckleheads) think is appropriate behaviour if they are anonymous. The tone on here is disgusting especially from the self described conservatives supposedly of a religious bent.

[Netterz]

Had the note been a prayer to Allah, seeking knowledge on how to best rid the world of as many Americans as he could...would anyone be barking about that?
They already said that the notes are taken from the wall and buried. I would guess that would mean that the ability to dig it up after its buried, and make it available to the highest bidder. Or could be why the message wasnt signed, so what ever God gets it, has no idea who it came from.....HA!.

[sistatee-2009]

How many writers and editors did it take to come up with that note for the Messiah?

[kansas1946]

"Lord - Protect my family and me," reads the note published in the Maariv daily. "Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair. Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will."

*******************************************

I am shocked that the Jewish media would publish this, but it is a beautiful prayer.

[kansas1946]

I was expecting the note to be something altruistic. Something that maybe called for world peace, or an end to poverty. But, no. It''''s "me, me, me". What an ego. I suppose you have to have an enormous ego to run for president.


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Posted by cdfoxtrot1 at 05:54 PM : Jul 25, 2008
+ report abuse
*********************************************

You are kidding, right?

[vastr-wcon]

And it came to pass when the whole land from the Arabian desert to the shores of the Great Lakes had been laid barren, that a Child appeared in the wilderness.

The Child was blessed in looks and intellect. Scion of a simple family, offspring of a miraculous union, grandson of a typical white person and an African peasant. And yea, as he grew, the Child walked in the path of righteousness, with only the occasional detour into the odd weed and a little blow.

When he was twelve years old, they found him in the temple in the City of Chicago, learning from the Prophet Jeremiah and the Elders. And the Elders were astonished at what they heard and said among themselves: %u201CVerily, who is this Child that he opens our hearts and minds to the audacity of hope?%u201D And they went forth singing the praises of Hope-Change, Change-Hope, Hope-able Change, Change-able Hope and other bull droppings.

In the great Battles of Caucus and Primary he smote the conniving Hillary, wife of the deposed King Bill the Priapic and their barbarian hordes of Working Class Whites.

And so it was, in the fullness of time, before the harvest month of the appointed year, the Child ventured forth - for the first time - to bring the light unto all the world.

Rejoice America, the callow Child savior from the loony-left is here. Forget the vote ye bitter, religious, gun-toting non-believers, for the liberal media hath anointed him president and divine ruler of all mankind.

[xlib]

So, tell us again how this guy isn''t playing messiah. You know, say, oh mccain or another Republican did the same thing I do believe there would be much said about it and most not good. It''s truly funny how the libs demeanize and vilify Christian but this guy can do no wrong.

[l8c6]

At the Western Wall, Obama was greeted by a crowd of curious onlookers and photographers. He donned a white skullcap, listened to a rabbi read a prayer, and inserted a folded white piece of paper between the stones. One hardline Israeli protester shouted, "Obama, Jerusalem is not for sale."


What the he*ll is that remark about? U.S. taxpayers, the ones who cannot evade taxes in Swiss banks, pay to the sum of 4 billion a year to keep Israel from going bankrupt. The U.S. and its allies secured Israel for the Zionists and subsequently Palestinians have been driven out. So, what the he*ll sort of comment is that?

[l8c6]

I was expecting the note to be something altruistic. Something that maybe called for world peace, or an end to poverty. But, no. It''''''''s "me, me, me". What an ego. I suppose you have to have an enormous ego to run for president.

Posted by cdfoxtrot1 at 05:54 PM : Jul 25, 2008


I think it''s a rather humble prayer. He''s concerned about his family and his role of president in doing the right thing.

[l8c6]

*** there are some ugly azzed pi*gs on here today. The man stuck a go*d*dam*n piece of paper in a wall with a simple prayer unsigned and someone dug it out and published it. A few steamin'' piles of sh*it on here are critical of the quality of his prayer and comparing it to their own, how much holier theirs are. Geeze, not being a bible thumper I remember hearing biblical stories about but*theads like this as a kid. For those on here with their ugly words. You are not in Gods favor, Get behind satan!

[ghwab1949]

Sounds generic and pretty noncontroversial, but whatever the merits of the prayer or Obama''s intentions, those who stole it and printed it should be ashamed. Communications with God should be inviolate no matter by whom and no matter the circumstances. It is cynical and wrong to violate a place of worship or to violate someone else''s prayers. I would only expect such a thing from a nonbeliever or from those trying to sell papers.

That is just really uncool. That message was meant to be between Obama and God. No one else should hear or read it. It doesn''t matter what he says or doesn''t say in the note because it''s not meant for us to read. Those people should be ashamed of themselves.

[liberty_1776]

If North Koreans, Iranians, and Syrians could vote in the US presidential election, Obama might have a chance of winning, but it ain''t gonna happen.

[ioweign]

this is a media circus on taxpayer money, this should be a crime, he should be charged with theft.

Posted by fstop100 at 03:08 PM : Jul 25, 2008

Of course, it is OK for McCain, Lieberman and Lindsay...

[firststate]

Psychics or psychotics, do you think God needs your help to see what is in the man''s heart and mind? Would you deign to prescribe the correct form for a prayer? Some of you seem confused about your position in the universe and might want to work on your own egos. The prayer is public because somebody grabbed a private prayer to make a buck. Some of the pious, pompous hypocrites on here are even worse the prayer *** who stole it in the first place. Maybe some of you who claim to be Christians should have your own time of reflection and prayer. Only the reich-wing nut jobs try to deify obama, so they can demean him, then. Would Christ be proud of this kind of behavior or is His religion supposed to be based upon love? There are a lot of posters on here who seem to think they are without sin. They should probably reconsider.

[liberty_1776]

IOWEIGN, is the US presidential election big news up there in Canada? I guess you guys don''t have too many elections to comment about up there, huh?

[rosieod4prez]

YEah - like he didn''t expect this to leak out.


HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA


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